A Dinner in Honor of Roberto Cavalli at Beatrice Inn

“I come up or you come down!” issued Roberto Cavalli in his Italian tenor to model Karolina Kurkova as the two posed together for photographs. The five-foot-eleven supermodel, wearing a sapphire suit by the designer with flowing, pleated trousers that only one so statuesque could pull off, bent her knees at a 45-degree angle as she draped her arm around Cavalli, bringing the height difference down considerably. “Here, you are taller,” Cavalli announced as the flashbulb snapped: “In bed, I am taller!” Kurkova had already been out every night this week, first at the God’s Love We Deliver Gala and then at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Cocktail Party, but she made it a priority to attend the intimate dinner held at the Beatrice Inn in Mr. Cavalli’s honor.

Post posing, Kurkova discussed the differences between Pinterest and Twitter with Carlos Mota and Vogue’s Valerie Boster; Kurkova found them similar, Mota and Boster disagreed. Meanwhile guests including Patrick Demarchelier, Hilary Rhoda, Lily Kwong, Zani Gugelmann, Sofía Sanchez Barrenchea, Michelle Harper, and Vogue’s Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis filtered into the subterranean soon-to-reopen eatery for cocktails at the dark wood bar before venturing into the Charles Rennie Mackintosh–style back room where the dinner was held. “Remember how many people used to fit in this space!” marveled Jamie Johnson before taking his seat.

Kwong and Sanchez Barrenchea slid onto the leather banquette while dinner partners Gugelmann and Cavalli exchanged phone numbers written on the paper tablecloth. “This is my business card!” Cavalli joked before examining the wine label with the votive from the tabletop. “This dinner is such a treat!” said Kwong. “I love the element of surprise at an intimate table. You never know who you’re going to meet and what unexpected conversation may arise!”

After coffee and the spectacular salted caramel ice cream, people kissed their host goodbye, grabbed their jackets, and slipped out into the crisp fall night.